Had a few hours to play around and so I constructed this small figure fairly quickly. It’s just a reminder that among the first Europeans to venture down the Ohio River were French missionaries who called these waters La Belle Riviere…..the Beautiful River. This piece is constructed from Styrofoam, sticks, acorns, plastic, and what appears to be a rubber-like material (neoprene?)…that’s the material that makes up the robe.
I was walking by a hollow log and a female mallard duck burst out and scared the “heck” out of me! I wondered what this duck was doing a few hunderd yards away from the water and when I poked my head inside I found her nest with eggs. I took this quick photo and retreated. I think we both gave each other a good fright!
Even with the incissors gone, I identified this as a beaver skull. It’s a fairly heavy and dense assemblage of bone. The rest of the skeleton is nearby, but it still has some decomposing to do. I photographed a beaver sitting on its tail during high waters last year. I think of this animal as being one of my collaboraters because I love to use beaver-chewed willow sticks in my art. As they nibble the bark off, their teeth leave marks in the wood that add a subtle pattern. The beaver are making enough of a comeback here that in places they are considered a nuisance.
Here’s the beaver photo from last year. He was drying his fur on the bank when he heard my camera and dashed for the water. Sitting on its tail, it seems almost contemplative. I like that the French word for river and reverie sound similar. Here’s one last image of “Black Robe”.
A beautiful spring day and a perfect time to sit by the river. The greening trees are alive with the fresh colors of migratory birds. Somewhere off in the distance is a sound or more accurately a vibration that piques your interest. Since the hearing is going you need something to focus the sound.
… diesel engines crossing over the bridge………. Alright, so it won’t win any literary prizes, but it was fun to do. The train picture is recent, but the figure is long gone…was it last year or the one before that? I think I need something to focus my memory too. This figure, as usual, is made from various found elements…polystyrene foam, driftwood, and plastic. The nose I remember was the handle of a broken paint brush. One of the eyes is a fishing bobber and the other…who knows? I thought the found bottle of sports drink added a nice color note. This piece was up for awhile, before it was carried away by a flood.
From a previous post…you know I’m into birds and since this is migration season, I’m at the Falls of the Ohio as often as I can get a few hours to get away. I do keep a list of what I see in this park based on their official checklist that includes 268 recorded species. I’m almost half way there! I suppose I would have to live at the park year round to not miss any opportunities as long as the birds were willing to cooperate. The birds, however, have their own time-honored agendas and I try to be present in their moments. This season is shaping up to be a late one and I haven’t seen nearly the number of species I saw last year, but there is still time. The last two days have brought some surprises which I was able to get a few snapshots to share with you. Here are two new species for me at the Falls of the Ohio State Park.
Artist at Exit 0 Riverblog 